Reading R.F.C.
| Full name | Reading Rugby Football Club |
|---|---|
| Union | Rugby Football Union |
| Nickname(s) | The Green Machine |
| Founded | 1898 |
| Ground(s) | Holme Park |
| Chairman | Craig Hunter |
| President | Ian Cameron-Webb |
| Coach(es) | Paul Gaster, Paul Fisher, Rob Sweeney, Kevin Rackley |
| League(s) | South West 1 East |
| 2016–17 | 14th (relegated to Southern Counties North) |
| Official website | |
| www |
|
Reading R.F.C. is an English rugby union club, which runs senior and junior sides for both men and women. The 1st XV play in South West 1 East. The club is located in the village of Sonning, on the outskirts of Reading. The 1st XV is managed by Kevin Rackley with head coach Paul Gaster taking over for the 2012–13 season, forwards coach Paul Fisher and backs coach Rob Sweeney. Local businessman Andrew Clark is the Director of Rugby.
Reading was originally formed as 'Berkshire Wanderers' in July 1898 when RFU President Roger Walker, RFU Secretary George Rowland Hill and Cambridge Blue G R Joyce held a meeting in Pangbourne. Their aim was to set up a rugby club in Reading and the first game was played at the County Cricket Ground, Kensington Road, in September 1898. The club led a nomadic existence until, shortly before World War II, they moved to their present headquarters at Holme Park, Sonning. The club's name was changed to Reading in 1956 and the first trophy was won in 1970 when Marlow were beaten 16–3 at Maidenhead in the inaugural Berkshire Cup Final.
In the 1970s, Reading went into decline as Maidenhead and then Abbey became predominant in Berkshire. However, a successful colts side, organised by the late John Silverthorne, formed the basis of a revival following a disastrous 1982–83 season in which only one game was won.
Coach Jeff Owen and skipper Ian Turrell joined forces in the early 1980s and through their emphasis on forward power, Reading became known as "The Green Machine". The Berkshire Cup was won for the second time in 1986 and then regularly until the Wanderers – the 2nd XV – won it for a record tenth time, beating Bracknell in the final. The Southern Merit Table was also won six times in less than a decade. In the 1986–87 season, the team won 30 out of 34 matches and also reached the third round of the John Player Cup, running Coventry, then amongst the country's elite, very close before going down 26–12.
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